Ahead of PM's rally in Palwal, traffic movement on NH-19 to remain diverted

The state and district units of the BJP are all set to hold an election rally to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the party’s star campaigner — at Gadpuri village of the district on Tuesday.

Claimed to be one of the major political events related to the poll campaign, Modi will seek votes for the party candidates in the six districts of Faridabad, Palwal, Nuh, Gurugram, Rewari and Mahendergarh located in the southern part of the state.

The authorities have deployed around 3,000 police officials to maintain the security and law and order in the district. Palwal DC Harish Vashisht said as part of the safety measures, flying of drones or unmanned flying objects had been banned in the area till October 1.  The police authorities of Faridabad and Palwal have issued a traffic advisory for the movement of vehicles on NH-19 between Palwal and Faridabad.

The entry of all types of heavy and light vehicles from Delhi and Faridabad towards Palwal would be banned from 9 am to 6 pm on Tuesday in wake of the rally ground being located very close to the highway, said a spokesperson of the police department.  He said the vehicles moving towards Palwal from Faridabad or those moving from Palwal to Faridabad and Delhi had been advised to use the alternative routes of KMP, KGP and Delhi-Mumbai Expressway to go their destinations during this period. The vehicles could use local routes such as the Chandawali-Dayalpur road to go to KGP Expressway from Faridabad.  Barricades would be put at many points to divert and guide the traffic on the Delhi-Mathura highway, he added.

While a huge ‘pandal’ (covered structure) to accommodate several thousand persons has been set up at the site located close to the toll plaza point of the National Highway-19 in Gadpuri village, BJP leaders and the authorities of the Palwal and Faridabad districts have been engaged to make preparations for the event, which is due to be held 48 hours ahead of the culmination of the election campaign in the state. The polling is scheduled to be held on October 5 in a single phase in the state.

With the ‘pandal’ being water- and fire-resistant, separate parking spaces for buses and vehicles coming from various districts and separate entry and exit points have been set up for around 40,000 people. “The audience could swell between 70 and 80,000,” claims Raj Madan, spokesperson of the district BJP unit of Faridabad. He said the rally was likely to prove to be a major booster to the party cadre and supporters, who were confident of a third term.